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​Council-Manager Form of Government

Charlotte adopted a council-manager form of government in 1929. This form of government divides responsibilities between elected officials and an appointed city manager.

The mayor and city council are the "board of directors" for this municipal corporation. As such, they set policy, approve the financing of all City operations and enact ordinances, resolutions and orders. Their responsibilities also include appointing the city manager, city attorney, city clerk and members of various boards and commissions.

The city manager, functioning as the chief operating officer, administers the policy and decisions made by city council and oversees the day-to-day operations of City government.

It is the city manager's responsibility to ensure that all City services are delivered in an efficient and cost-effective manner and to provide vision and leadership to the City organization.

​Districts

The city of Charlotte is currently divided into seven districts, each one having a district representative on city council. Each representative is elected by the voters living in that district. The districts are divided according to population so that there is an approximate balance of the number of citizens per district.

The other four council members, called at-large representatives, are elected by voters from throughout the city.

What district am I in and who represents me?

You can locate your district by entering your address in the GeoPortal and selecting "voting" from the drop-down menu. You'll also find your polling location and your representatives for the following elected offices:

National Congress

National Senate

North CarolinaSenate

North Carolina House

Mecklenburg County Commission

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education

​Duties and Responsibilities

The mayor presides at all City Council meetings and officially represents the City at special ceremonies and events. The mayor is generally responsible for the execution of local laws. It is the mayor's role to represent the City in an official capacity at the state capital in Raleigh, in Washington and internationally.

Part of the mayor's duties include his or her involvement in national organizations that work on issues that are important to both Charlotte and the nation.

While at-large representatives are elected by all the registered voters in the city and district representatives are elected only by registered voters within a specific district, all of the City Council members work together to provide policy decisions that benefit the community as a whole and provide quality service to all of Charlotte's districts.

The district representatives frequently meet with the residents of their community by attending public functions and community meetings.

​Meetings

City council participates in four types of meetings, all of which take place in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center:

First Monday of each month - council workshop and citizens forum

These take place in room 267. The workshop begins at 5:30 p.m. and the citizen's forum begins at 7:30 p.m.

Second Monday of each month - council business meeting

These meetings start in room 267 at 5 p.m. with a council/manager dinner briefing. The business meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the meeting chamber, accessible from the Government Center lobby.

Third Monday of each month - zoning meetings

These take place in the meeting chamber conference room (CH-14) in the basement of the Government Center. It starts at 5 p.m. with dinner and continues at 6 p.m. with zoning decisions and hearings.

Fourth Monday of each month - citizens forum and council business meetings

These meetings start in room 267 with a council/manager dinner briefing. The business meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting chamber, accessible from the Government Center lobby.

Please note that meeting dates and times could change due to out-of-town conferences or other events, and there are usually fewer meetings in summer months. View the event calendar for a complete, up-to-date listing of council meetings.

Citizens have the opportunity to address the mayor and council regarding agenda and non-agenda items, as well as during public hearings. The time allotted to speak varies depending on the type of meeting.